Jasper County accepts charter school land donation

AMANDA DICKEY

Sunday

Dec 29, 2013 at 12:14 AM

Jasper County Council voted unanimously Dec. 19 to accept a donation of 26 acres for a new charter school building in downtown Hardeeville.

Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences failed several times to purchase property for a permanent building before the Gray family of Grayco stores in Beaufort County donated the large parcel of undeveloped land. The new building would be located on the corner of John Smith Road and McTeer Street.

The school, which opened in 2012, is currently located at the site of the old Hardeeville school campus outside the city limits. It signed a 10-year lease with the Jasper County School District to use the facilities and offered to buy the campus for $800,000, but the school board voted down the proposal last month.

Jasper County plans to hold onto the donated land until Royal Live Oaks can obtain its status as a federal nonprofit.

"We see the school as one of the best tools for economic development," said Chris Damgen, Hardeeville's downtown development manager. "If you have a good, solid school downtown, economic growth will occur. It also gives the community a good sense of pride for the town."

Royal Live Oaks currently has students from kindergarten through ninth grade. It plans to add one grade a year, until this year's freshman class reaches 12th grade.

Co-founder Les Wicks said he expects the new school building to house "about 650 students and a staff of around 63-65."

He hopes it will be open for the 2015-16 school year.

"There will be ample room and it will be much more efficient," Wicks said.

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